Ever seen a loophole work this well in someone’s favor? Dae’Quan Wright’s NFL run with the Cleveland Browns is already over, but this does not look like another forgettable roster cut. Cleveland is reportedly waiving the young tight end, and instead of scrambling for another NFL job, Wright already has his escape route lined up: a return to college football. What should have been the end of one professional opportunity could now become the start of an unprecedented NFL-to-NCAA reversal.

“Breaking: The Browns are waiving tight end Dae’Quan Wright and, if he clears waivers, he has an agreement in place for the 2026 season to play for LSU, his agents told @AdamSchefter. Wright is believed to be the first player who could play for an NFL team and then go back to play in college,” ESPN posted on X.

After going undrafted, Wright signed a free-agent deal with the Philadelphia Eagles, only to get waived earlier this month. Cleveland scooped him up off waivers, but his stay with the Browns didn’t last either, and he’s since been cut loose from that roster too.

The bigger story started in Colorado. On July 31, U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney issued a preliminary injunction giving athletes from the high school Class of 2022 a shot at a fifth season of eligibility. The NCAA had already approved a five-for-five model, but it was not supposed to fully kick in for this group. Sweeney’s ruling changed that and suddenly reopened college careers the NCAA had effectively considered finished.

But two days later, the door narrowed. On August 2, Sweeney clarified that her ruling did not wipe out the rest of the NCAA rulebook. Transfer restrictions, roster limits and, most importantly, the rule barring athletes from signing professional contracts and then returning to college still stood.

That is when Wright and the others decided the NCAA’s line was not good enough. A group of 33 athletes, including 16 football players and several already in NFL organizations, took the fight to Louisiana, arguing that the NCAA could not hand the 2022 class a fifth year and then slam the door on players simply because they had already turned pro.

Then came the ruling that changed everything. On August 19, a Louisiana judge granted the group a temporary restraining order, temporarily blocking the NCAA from enforcing those restrictions against them. That opened a seven-day portal window and gave players like Wright a legal path back into college football despite already entering the professional ranks.

Wright wasted no time using it. The next day, while still technically on Cleveland’s roster, he entered the NCAA transfer portal and became the first active NFL player to do so. What Colorado had left off-limits, Louisiana had suddenly put back on the table.

Even before Wright made history in the portal, Cleveland was already wondering what was going on. He had missed the Browns’ first two preseason games and more than a week of practice before finally dressing against Buffalo.

Head coach Todd Monken chalked it up to injury.

“Man, ain’t this s*** crazy? I mean, I don’t even know what to say,” Monken admitted after the loss. “As far as I know, he’s had a medical issue that wasn’t allowing him to practice. And that’s a medical issue; it’s nothing to do with me. Then he was cleared, so we dressed him just in case we had to have him, but when you don’t rep, it’s hard to put him on the field.”

Wright isn’t navigating this alone either. Fellow plaintiffs include Buccaneers edge rusher Jack Pyburn, Seahawks running back Anthony Hankerson, and Cardinals defensive back Wydett Williams Jr. Former Ole Miss teammate Zxavian Harris is part of the lawsuit as well. However, he’s since been cut by the Saints.

Along with Wright, players like TJ Harden, Harris, and offensive lineman Weylin Lapuaho have already entered the transfer portal rather than waiting to see how the legal fight plays out.

According to ESPN, the case stretches well beyond football, involving 33 athletes across multiple sports, 16 of them football players, all of whom are now eligible for that extra year of eligibility the Louisiana court has, at least for now, made possible.

The legal fight is far from over. On Friday, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals granted the NCAA a stay, temporarily blocking the Colorado ruling while the appeal plays out.

But that does not automatically erase the separate state-court orders already won by Wright and other athletes, leaving college football with different courts pulling eligibility rules in different directions.

Dae’Quan Wright’s college football return

LSU apparently was not reacting to Wright’s sudden availability. Lane Kiffin had already been looking into it before Cleveland even knew where this was headed.

“I wondered why Lane Kiffin reached out a week ago, now I know,” Monken said, clearly still processing it. He didn’t hold back on his reaction either: “S***, I didn’t know, now I know. I didn’t call him back, guess I should’ve.”

Wright wasn’t just another undrafted rookie looking for one more shot at football. He was a legit contributor for a Playoff team, finishing his final season with 39 catches for 635 yards and five touchdowns, including one in an SEC win over South Carolina and another in the national semifinal loss to Miami.

Across four college seasons split between Virginia Tech and Ole Miss, Wright totaled 113 receptions for 1,603 yards and nine touchdowns.

If he clears NFL waivers, Wright will be reuniting with the coach who got him here. Smart move or cautionary tale, the door Louisiana’s court opened will keep raising questions.